POWER ELECTRONICS UNIT

Abstract

A power electronics unit may include a circuit board and a cooling device. The circuit board may include at least one electronic component which, in a heat transfer region, is disposed flat against an electronics side of the circuit board. The cooling device may include at least one impingement jet chamber through which a cooling fluid is flowable from an inlet to an outlet. The cooling device may further include at least one nozzle plate having at least one flow nozzle. The at least one nozzle plate may be arranged in and divide the at least one impingement jet chamber into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, which may be fluidically connected to one another via the at least one flow nozzle. The at least one flow nozzle may accelerate and conduct the cooling fluid towards the heat transfer region of the at least one electronic component.

Claims

1. A power electronics unit, comprising: at least one circuit board including at least one electronic component which, in a heat transfer region, is disposed flat against an electronics side of the at least one circuit board in a heat-transferring manner; a cooling device including at least one impingement jet chamber through which a cooling fluid is flowable from an inlet to an outlet; at least one impingement jet chamber heat-transferringly connected to the at least one circuit board on a cooling side disposed opposite the electronics side such that a power dissipation provided by the at least one electronic component is transferable, in the heat transfer region, to the cooling fluid in the at least one impingement jet chamber; the cooling device further including at least one nozzle plate having at least one flow nozzle, the at least one nozzle plate arranged in and dividing the at least one impingement jet chamber into at least one inlet-side inlet chamber and at least one outlet-side outlet chamber, the at least one inlet chamber and the at least one outlet chamber fluidically connected to one another via the at least one flow nozzle; and that wherein the at least one flow nozzle is arranged spaced apart from the heat transfer region of the at least one electronic component such that the at least one flow nozzle accelerates and conducts the cooling fluid flowing in through the inlet towards the heat transfer region of the at least one electronic component.

2. The power electronics unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one side of the at least one impingement jet chamber is delimited towards an outside by the at least one circuit board.

3. The power electronics unit according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one flow nozzle is defined by a nozzle orifice and a nozzle wall surrounding the nozzle orifice; and the nozzle wall projects from the at least one nozzle plate into the at least one outlet chamber such that the cooling fluid flowing in through the inlet is conducted towards the heat transfer region of the at least one electronic component.

4. The power electronics unit according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one nozzle plate is arranged in the at least one impingement jet chamber parallel to and spaced apart from the at least one circuit board; and the at least one flow nozzle is directed at the heat transfer region at a jet angle of 30° to 150°.

5. The power electronics unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one inlet chamber has a first flow cross section and the at least one outlet chamber has a second flow cross section, and wherein at least one of: the first flow cross section of the at least one inlet chamber decreases in a direction away from the inlet and the second flow cross section of the at least one outlet chamber increases in a direction towards the outlet; and the first flow cross section of the at least one inlet chamber and the second flow cross section of the at least one outlet chamber are constant.

6. The power electronics unit according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one inlet chamber is defined by an inflow passage which fluidically connects the inlet and the at least one flow nozzle with one another; and the at least one inflow passage is delimited on one side by the at least one nozzle plate and on the other side by at least one cover plate disposed against and coupled to the at least one nozzle plate.

7. The power electronics unit according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one outlet chamber is fluidically connected to the outlet via at least one draining passage, which on one side is delimited by at least one cover plate disposed against and coupled to the at least one nozzle plate and on the other side by the at least one nozzle plate; and the at least one draining passage is fluidically connected to the at least one outlet chamber via an outlet opening disposed in the at least one nozzle plate, which through the at least one nozzle plate fluidically connects the at least one draining passage with the at least one outlet chamber.

8. The power electronics unit according to claim 7, wherein: the at least one flow nozzle includes at least two flow nozzles disposed adjacent to one another; and the outlet opening is arranged between the at least two flow nozzles such that the cooling fluid is flowable through the at least two flow nozzles into the at least one outlet chamber and, in a region between the at least two flow nozzles, is flowable out of the at least one outlet chamber through the outlet opening.

9. The power electronics unit according to claim 6, wherein the at least one inflow passage is formed in at least one of the at least one nozzle plate and the at least one cover plate.

10. The power electronics unit according to claim 6, wherein: the at least one outlet chamber is fluidically connected to the outlet via at least one draining passage, which on one side is delimited by at least one cover plate disposed against and coupled to the at least one nozzle plate and on the other side by the at least one nozzle plate; the at least one draining passage is fluidically connected to the at least one outlet chamber via an outlet opening disposed in the at least one nozzle plate, which through the at least one nozzle plate fluidically connects the at least one draining passage with the at least one outlet chamber; and the at least one inflow passage and the at least one draining passage are arranged parallel to one another.

11. The power electronics unit according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one circuit board includes two circuit boards facing one another with the respective cooling side and between which the at least one impingement jet chamber is arranged; and the at least one nozzle plate includes two nozzle plates arranged on one another, the two nozzle plates delimiting the at least one inlet chamber towards one another and delimiting, at least in regions, the at least one outlet chamber towards the two circuit boards.

12. The power electronics unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one outlet chamber is fluidically connected to the outlet via at least one lateral draining passage, which, laterally on the at least one circuit board and the at least one nozzle plate, is delimited towards an outside via at least one side plate.

13. The power electronics unit according to claim 12, wherein the at least one inlet chamber is connected to the inlet via at least one inlet opening disposed in the at least one side plate, which through the at least one side plate connects the at least one inlet chamber with the inlet.

14. The power electronics unit according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one flow nozzle includes a plurality of flow nozzles arranged next to one another and which form at least one flow region on the at least one nozzle plate; and the at least one flow region of the at least one nozzle plate is disposed opposite and spaced apart from the heat transfer region.

15. The power electronics unit according to claim 4, wherein the jet angle is 80° to 100°.

16. The power electronics unit according to claim 7, wherein the at least one draining passage is formed in at least one of the at least one nozzle plate and the at least one cover plate.

17. A power electronics unit, comprising: at least one circuit board having an electronics side and a cooling side disposed opposite one another; at least one electronic component disposed, in a heat transfer region, flat against the electronics side of the at least one circuit board in a heat-transferring manner; a cooling device including at least one impingement jet chamber through which a cooling fluid is flowable from an inlet to an outlet; the at least one impingement jet chamber heat-transferringly connected to the cooling side of the at least one circuit board such that a power dissipation provided by the at least one electronic component is transferable in the heat transfer region to the cooling fluid in the at least one impingement jet chamber; the cooling device further including at least one nozzle plate having at least one flow nozzle, the at least one nozzle plate arranged in and dividing the at least one impingement jet chamber into at least one inlet-side inlet chamber and at least one outlet-side outlet chamber, the at least one inlet chamber and the at least one outlet chamber fluidically connected to one another via the at least one flow nozzle; wherein the at least one flow nozzle is defined by a nozzle orifice and a nozzle wall surrounding the nozzle orifice; and wherein the at least one flow nozzle is arranged spaced apart from the heat transfer region of the at least one electronic component such that the at least one flow nozzle accelerates and conducts the cooling fluid flowing in through the inlet towards the heat transfer region of the at least one electronic component.

18. The power electronics unit according to claim 17, wherein: a flow cross section of the at least one inlet chamber decreases in a direction away from the inlet; and a flow cross section of the at least one outlet chamber increases in a direction towards the outlet.

19. A power electronics unit, comprising: at least one circuit board having an electronics side and a cooling side disposed opposite one another; at least one electronic component disposed, in a heat transfer region, flat against the electronics side of the at least one circuit board in a heat-transferring manner; a cooling device including at least one impingement jet chamber through which a cooling fluid is flowable from an inlet to an outlet; the at least one impingement jet chamber heat-transferringly connected to the cooling side of the at least one circuit board such that a power dissipation provided by the at least one electronic component is transferable in the heat transfer region to the cooling fluid in the at least one impingement jet chamber; the cooling device further including at least one nozzle plate having at least one flow nozzle, the at least one nozzle plate arranged in and dividing the at least one impingement jet chamber into at least one inlet-side inlet chamber and at least one outlet-side outlet chamber, the at least one inlet chamber and the at least one outlet chamber fluidically connected to one another via the at least one flow nozzle; wherein the at least one nozzle plate is arranged in the at least one impingement jet chamber parallel to and spaced apart from the at least one circuit board; and wherein the at least one flow nozzle is arranged spaced apart from the heat transfer region of the at least one electronic component such that the at least one flow nozzle accelerates and conducts the cooling fluid flowing in through the inlet towards the heat transfer region of the at least one electronic component.

20. The power electronics unit according to claim 19, wherein a flow cross section of the at least one inlet chamber and a flow cross section of the at least one outlet chamber are constant.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] It shows, in each case schematically

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a fundamental construction of a power electronics unit according to the invention in a sectional view;

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a possible configuration of a nozzle plate in a cooling device of a power electronics unit according to the invention in a plan view;

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a possible further development of a power electronics unit according to the invention in a sectional view;

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of a power electronics unit according to the invention in a first embodiment;

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of a power electronics unit according to the invention in a second embodiment;

[0028] FIGS. 6 and 7 show sectional views of a power electronics unit according to the invention in a third embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a fundamental construction of a power electronics unit 1 according to the invention in a sectional view. The power electronics unit 1 comprises a circuit board 2—here a DBC board—having an electronics side 2a and a cooling side 2b. On the electronics side 2a, two electronic components 3a and 3b—for example IGBT, MOSFET, diode, semiconductor or others—are fixed which are electrically interconnected via conductor wires 4 and covered with a protective layer 25. The respective electronic component 3a and 3b lies heat-transferringly against the circuit board 2 in a heat transfer region 5a and 5b. For cooling the electronic components 3a and 3b, the power electronics unit 1 comprises a cooling device 6. Here, the cooling device 6 comprises an impingement jet chamber 7, which can be flowed through by a cooling fluid 8 from an inlet 9 to an outlet 10. The impingement jet chamber 7 is heat-transferringly connected to the cooling side 2b of the circuit board 2, wherein the circuit board 2 unilaterally delimits the impingement jet chamber 7 towards the outside. The power dissipation generated in the respective electronic component 3a or 3b is passed on in the respective heat transfer region 5a or 5b to the cooling fluid 8 in the impingement jet chamber 7 and by way of this the respective electronic component 3a or 3b directly cooled.

[0030] For the specific cooling of the electronic components 3a and 3b, the cooling device 6 comprises a nozzle plate 11 with multiple flow nozzles 12. Here, the respective flow nozzle 12 is formed by a nozzle orifice 20 in the nozzle plate 11. The nozzle plate 11 divides the impingement jet chamber 7 into an inlet-side inlet chamber 13 and into an outlet-side outlet chamber 14, so that the inlet chamber 13 and the outlet chamber 14 are exclusively fluidically connected to one another by the flow nozzles 12. Here, the nozzle plate 11 is arranged parallel to and spaced apart from the circuit board 2, so that the inlet chamber 13 is delimited towards the outside by the nozzle plate 11 and a cover plate 15 and the outlet chamber 14 by the circuit board 2 and the nozzle plate 11 in regions. In FIG. 1, only an extract of the power electronics unit 1 is shown in section. It is obvious that the inlet chamber 13 and the outlet chamber 14 are also laterally closed and, towards the outside, are exclusively fluidically connected via the inlet 9 and the outlet 10.

[0031] In the power electronics unit 1, the cooling fluid 8 flows out of the inlet 9 into the inlet chamber 13 and is conducted via the flow nozzles 12 into the outlet chamber 14 as indicated by arrows. While flowing through the flow nozzles 12 to the heat transfer region 5a or 5b of the respective electronic component 3a or 3b the cooling fluid 8 is accelerated. In the process, the cooling fluid 8 impinging on the cooling side 2b of the circuit board 2 in the respective heat transfer region 5a or 5b with a high velocity in the form of an impingement jet and the heat transfer coefficient on the heat transfer region 5a or 5b is increased by way of this. By way of this, a heat flow corresponding to the heat transfer coefficient between the cooling fluid 8 and the circuit board 2 can be specifically increased in the respective heat transfer region 5a or 5b. Since the power dissipation generated in the respective electronic component 3a and 3b is transferred in the heat transfer region 5a and 5b to the cooling fluid 8, the electronic component 3a and 3b can thereby be specifically cooled.

[0032] The flow nozzles 12 are arranged next to one another and form two flow regions 16a and 16b on the nozzle plate 11. The respective flow region 16a and 16b is arranged located opposite the respective heat transfer region 5a and 5b so that the cooling fluid 8 flowing out of the flow nozzles 12 in the respective flow region 16a or 16b specifically cools the electronic 3a or 3b in the respective heat transfer region 5a or 5b. The flow regions 16a and 16b differ from one another by the number of the flow nozzles 12 per unit of area and thus by the performance density. In this exemplary embodiment, the flow region 16a comprises multiple flow nozzles 12 per unit of area and accordingly a higher performance density. As indicated by arrows, the electronic component 3a is heated more intensively than the electronic component 3b and is also more intensively cooled by the flow region 16a than the electronic component 3b. Thus, the performance density of the flow regions 16a and 16b in this exemplary embodiment is matched to the heat flow density of the electronic components 3a and 3b in the respective heat transfer regions 5a and 5b. In this way, the local temperature elevations on the circuit board 2 are specifically levelled in the power electronics unit 1. The current working temperature of the respective electronic components 3a and 3b is thereby reduced and the power electronics unit 1 as a whole can be operated more efficiently.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary configuration of the nozzle plate 11 for cooling a half bridge with a diode and an IGBT. Here, the nozzle plate 11 comprises altogether ten identical flow regions 16 which are arranged in four groups. The respective flow region 16 comprises multiple flow nozzles 12 which are provided for cooling the individual electronic component 3.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a possible further development of the impingement jet chamber 7 in a sectional view. In this exemplary embodiment, a flow cross section of the inlet chamber 13 decreases away from the inlet 9 and a flow cross section of the outlet chamber 14 increases towards the outlet 10. By way of this, the volume flow of the cooling fluid 8 through the respective, in this exemplary embodiment identical, flow nozzles 12 remains constant and the cooling fluid 8 flows out of all flow nozzles 12 with a same velocity. Thus, regardless of the arrangement of the flow nozzle 12 at the inlet 9, an identical cooling effect can be achieved on the circuit board 2. Altogether, the power electronics unit 1 can be cooled efficiently through such a configuration of the inlet chamber 13 and of the outlet chamber 14.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the power electronics unit 1 in a first embodiment. Here, the inlet chamber 13 is formed by inflow passages 17 which fluidically connect the inlet 9—not visible here—and the flow nozzles 12 with one another. Here, the inflow passages 17 are formed in the nozzle plate 11 and are delimited on the one side by the nozzle plate 11 and on the other side by the cover plate 15. The outlet chamber 14 is fluidically connected to the outlet 10—not visible here—via an draining passage 18, which is formed in the cover plate 15. The draining passage 18 is delimited on the one side by the nozzle plate 11 and on the other side by the cover plate 15 and fluidically connected through the nozzle plate 11 to the outlet chamber 14 by way of an outlet opening 19 formed in the nozzle plate 11. The inflow passages 17 and the draining passage 18 are arranged parallel to one another and run perpendicularly to the drawing plane.

[0036] The two flow nozzles 12 are provided for cooling the electronic components 3a and 3b on the circuit board 2 and are arranged next to one another in the nozzle plate 11. The outlet opening 19 is arranged between the flow nozzles 12 so that following the impingement of the cooling fluid 8 on the heat transfer regions 5a and 5b of the circuit board 2, eddy flows developing laterally on the respective flow nozzles 12 between the flow nozzles 12 converge. Advantageously, the outlet opening 9 is arranged in the region of the converging eddy flows so that the cooling fluid 8 flows directly into the draining passage 18 and further on to the outlet 10—not visible here. By way of this, the pressure loss in the outlet chamber 14 can be minimised and the efficiency of the cooling device increased. The flow of the cooling fluid 8 in the outlet chamber 14 is indicated by arrows.

[0037] In this embodiment of the power electronics unit 1 the respective flow regions 16a and 16b are formed by a flow nozzle 12 each. Here, the respective flow nozzle 12 is formed by the nozzle orifice 20 and a nozzle wall 23 which surrounds the nozzle orifice 20 and projects from the nozzle plate 11 into the outlet chamber 14. The velocity of the cooling fluid 8 while flowing through the nozzle orifice 20 or the flow nozzle 12 can be adjusted by way of a flow cross section. In this exemplary embodiment, the flow nozzles 12 are orientated at a jet angle equal to 90° to the cooling side 2b of the circuit board 2, so that the cooling fluid 8 is conducted via the shortest path to the heat transfer regions 5a and 5b and impinges on the circuit board 2 at the jet angle equal to 90°.

[0038] FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the power electronics unit 1 in a second embodiment. Here, the inlet chamber 13—identical to the first embodiment—is formed by the inflow passages 17 which on the one side are delimited towards the outside by the nozzle plate 11 and on the other side by the cover plate 15. For draining the cooling fluid 8 out of the outlet chamber 14, side draining passages 21 are provided in this embodiment of the power electronics unit 1, which are arranged laterally on the circuit board 2 and on the nozzle plate 11 and are each delimited towards the outside by a side plate 22. Otherwise the construction of the power electronics unit 1 shown here corresponds to the power electronics unit 1 in the first embodiment. The flow of the cooling fluid 8 in the outlet chamber 14 is indicated by arrows.

[0039] FIGS. 6 and 7 show sectional views of the power electronics unit 1 in a third embodiment. The power electronics unit 1 comprises two circuit boards 2 which with the respective cooling side 2b are arranged facing one another. Between the circuit boards 2 the impingement jet chamber 7 is arranged. Furthermore, the power electronics unit 1 comprises two nozzle plates 11 arranged on one another, which towards one another, delimit the inlet chamber 13 and towards the circuit boards 2, the outlet chamber 14. Laterally, the outlet chamber 14 is delimited by the side plate 22, which additionally delimit the side draining passages 21. The inlet chamber 13 is connected to the inlet 9 through the respective side plate 22 via an inlet opening 24 formed in one of the side plates 22. Otherwise the construction of the power electronics unit 1 shown here corresponds to the power electronics unit 1 in the second embodiment. The flow of the cooling fluid 8 in the impingement jet chamber 7 is indicated by arrows.

[0040] In summary, the slightly heated electronic components 3b and the intensively heated electronic components 3a in the power electronics unit 1 can be cooled with different intensities. By way of this, the temperature differences on the circuit board 2 can be levelled as a result of which the power electronics unit 1 can be operated efficiently.